Fishing is Heating up

I've had some web hosting troubles but things have been corrected and it looks promising out on the water. Things have been reported to be heating up. My buddy was out the other morning and literally 5 minutes after putting his kayak in the water he was hooked up with a nice redfish. It seems they are sitting in the shallows and haunting some of the creek edges. I have also moved and live up near Pasco so my information may target some new areas. Look for new reports soon.

Fishing Clearwater

We had heard that there is good fishing on low tide near the Clearwater
Bridge. We decided to head out and test the waters. We got to the site
after maneuvering through the traffic to get there and parked at the
little parking area just on the west side of the bridge on the south
side of the road. It worked out to be a good spot to park and launch the
kayaks. It was a little muddy and we had to drag them a little farther
than normal but all in all a good place to launch. The first thing to
note is all the boat traffic that hits this channel. We headed straight
across and to the island area right across from where we launched. The
tide was low and we could see the drop off and the grass near the island
was exposed. But we were able to troll back and forth along the drop off
and cast some top waters and jigs going from deep to shallow.  Initially
I tried a few different style gulps and had a few nice strikes but
nothing aggressive enough to hook up. Then I noticed that there was
quite a bit of commotion on the top with schools of bait and fish
swimming through them feeding. I switched over to top water and that
seemed to do the trick. The fish started biting and after a few hook ups
my buddy landed a Trout, Redfish and Snook. The trout and redfish were
keeper size and the Snook, of course we let go.
        We will be heading back here in the near future and trying it
out again. It may be a little better to try this spot during the week
when there isn't as much boat traffic.

Florida Middle Grounds 27 July 2012

We hadn't been on the weekend trip out of Hubbards Marina in so long it was almost like we had forgotten how much fun it could be. We finally decided to get it together and make a trip. One of the things we needed was the inside cabins, It makes for a more comfortable trip and in the hot summer days it truly keeps you from passing out in the heat. The 39 Hour trip is just that a trip that truly puts you on the fish and makes you want more...But your hands are cut up your arms are wore out and your tackle has taken a beating so by the end you need to go home to recover. WE left the dock at 3:00pm on the big Friendly Fisherman and we head out. We tied leaders and rigs until about 9pm then woke up when the Captain said we are getting ready to line up on the first spot.

Tim's Gag Grouper

It was 1:12 am and hopefully that little sleep was enough to last until we stopped fishing at 7:30pm the next night. The good thing was we immediately started catching fish. Nice Mangrove Snappers and literally we never stopped catching fish EXCEPT in between anchor runs for Captain Mark to put us right back on another great spot. When he said Mangroves he was right, when he said Grouper he was right. The only thing better would have been to have a School of Mahi show up....

Then they did. The three of us Me, Tim and Steve had our two day limit of Snapper already and some other very nice Grouper, Bar Jacks and BIG Porgies. One of the best trips we've ever been on.

and this video taken by Mr. Bob Harbison really captured the essence of the Trip. I cannot do justice to his write-up but I have to Thank Bob for his great coverage of our entire trip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWK5G4HmO70&feature=plcp

Inner Coastal Fishing

I've been out of the country on a vacation to Germany and Italy and finally made it out fishing. It truly is nice to have such a great place right in our back yard.
Went out on last Sunday, Memorial Day Weekend and thought it might not be too bad with the storm staying well North. The trout were biting and so were all the other fish, even a small 18 inch Grouper decided to bite my jig with a live shrimp on it. Also we never got pictures but we caught a Ladyfish that was the "Ladyfish that ate Tokyo" it had to be about 10 punds and 30 inches long. We at first thought it was a Big Bluefish, then maybe a small Tarpon but sure enough when we got it beside the boat it was a HUGE Lady fish. However the excitement of the day was the Grouper. IN about 12 foot of water and on a 1/8thoz jighead with a live shrimp.

Fishing Report from Capt. Chris Haught of Inshore Charters

Captain Chris Haught of http://www.inshorecharters.com submitted this report to the web site.

 "Fishing in and around Tampa Bay has been unbelievable lately. We’ve been fishing mullet schools with live and cut bait for redfish in lower Tampa Bay having good success on the higher tides.

Snook have been on the flats near the structures and potholes eating scaled sardines, large threadfins, and pinfish. King mackerel have been on the beaches when the wind is cooperative out of the east and the water clarity is good. Anchoring up over hard bottom areas and putting out a spread of live baits on the surface and some live and dead bait on knocker rigs has produced kings, Spanish, bonito, key west grunt, red grouper, gag grouper, flounder, mangrove snapper, and more. Speaking of beach fishing, the flounder bite this year off the beaches has been stellar. Many of the flounder have been really nice sized compared to the usual size we see here.

 My Spanish mackerel fishing has mostly been inside the bay so far because of the number of fish hanging near the schools of threadfins. I’m pretty much using live bait on the good tides and cut strips of bait on the slower tides. We’ve been hitting the plus sized seatrout in the real skinny water on live bait, cut bait, and artificials and the smaller fish have been more plentiful in the 3-6 ft. grass flat areas eating the same things.

 Those deeper grass areas are also holding nice bluefish, ladyfish, jacks and more to bend the rod. We’ve been catching plenty of cobia so far but most have been on the small side with not many bigger ones yet. The tarpon are in their normal hangouts and have little traffic compared to May/June so now is the perfect time to target the silver king.

  The sharks are also making an appearance inside the bay on the flats, the edge of the shipping channel and near the passes which make for an exciting battle on light tackle."


Captain Chris Haught
Tampa Bay Florida Fishing Guide
http://www.inshorecharters.com
chris@inshorecharters.com
727-420-4429

TampaBayFish.com - Weekend Fishing Report

TampaBayFish.com  Weekend Fishing Report. Saturday and Sunday are not suppose to be the best weather days. If your going fishing there may be some good chances on Sunday, watch for heavy rains and winds to possibly shut the fish down.

Weather UPDATE: Thunderstorms Saturday with the chance of rain going way down Sunday. It seems like a dip in the temperatures on Sunday but only to 79 so it should be excellent fishing all weekend long.

RADAR LINK

FORECAST LINK
SATURDAY:
high 80-83 70% chance of Rain
low 59-62
NE WINDS 10-15mph
SUNDAY:
high 73-78 60% isolated chance of Rain
low 64-66
N WINDS 10-15mph 

Fishing Report: Look for Fishing to be good if you can get to protected waters and watch for the rain and winds. 

• FISH Redfish are hitting topwaters and trout are hitting popping corks with live or plastic shrimp.
• Spanish Mackerel and Kingfish are making strong appearances. The Kings seem to be running strong out over the close wrecks and off the beaches and the Spanish Macks should be all over the Bay.

Any Florida Fishing Reports or Tampa Area Specific Fishing Reports are welcome please submit comments or other information here and maybe we can help others catch fish too.

Tampa Fishing Report from Capt. Rick Reddick of Tampa Fishing Charters

Capt. Rick Reddick submitted this report. Visit Tampa Fishing Charters for More info:
April 11, 2012 - Tampa Fishing Charters

Wow what an awesome spring mackerel run we are having. While slow trolling over artificial reefs and other live bottom areas we have barely been able to keep our baits in the water. We have had at least three Kingfish each day and around ten Spanish mackerel. Not to mention all “the ones that got away”.

Obviously we did not catch these two kings in front of this dock, but it was time to take pictures for my happy clients and they did not mind the location. Catching bait has been pretty easy and quick. I am very thankful for the bait we have around and the kings and Spanish love them. While slow trolling it is not uncommon to get double knock downs and we have had at least one on each trip.

When the fishing is this hot, it does not take long to get a large catch like these two professional junior anglers achieved. We should have another month of this awesome mackerel run. Many other species of fish are biting very well this spring:

It has been a pleasure to live and fish in Florida for my whole life, but the months of March and April definitely exemplifies why Florida is the fishing capital of the world. Snook, red fish, trout and grouper have all been caught on recent trips.

In contrast to the previous two springs, bait is easy to find and catch. This mild winter has allowed our fishery the chance to recover a bit, and God knows we need it. While fishing out of Tarpon Springs the past week, we caught this black grouper by free lining a scaled sardine in an edge.

An edge is place were two current flows meet to form a water barrier, that is, two rips moving in different directions. Add a whirlpool effect and you have an Eddie. On the next day’s trip, we caught this snook immediately after leaving the dock:

This happy client had never caught a fish before in his 85 years:

He caught many fish that date.

Here is a picture of a gag we caught while slow trolling for kings:

Fishing for the next few months will be superb, so get out on the water and catch them up!

Captain Rick Reddick
Tampa Fishing Charters |Tampa Fishing Guides
http://www.captainrickreddick.com/
info@captainrickreddick.com
813-787-0249
Tampa Fishing Charters | Tampa Fishing Guides

TampaBayFish.com  Weekend Fishing Report. The wind on Saturday may be a little high but Sunday will be very nice even if the temp drops a little. Flats are working up a lot of action, and the beaches will be heating up shortly. BAIT is everywhere and the schools of mullet are holding some Redfish.

Weather UPDATE: Scattered Thunderstorms Saturday with the chance of rain going way down Sunday. It seems like a dip in the temperatures on Sunday but only to 79 so it should be excellent fishing all weekend long.

RADAR LINK

FORECAST LINK

SATURDAY:
high 80-83 30% chance of Rain
low 59-62
NE WINDS 15-20mph
SUNDAY:
high 79-82 30% isolated chance of Rain
low 64-66
N WINDS 5-10mph 

Fishing Report: The fishing should be excellent in a lot of places around Tampa and the waters North and South. 

• FISH Typical patterns for spring are expected for Redfish, Snook and Trout. Redfish seem to be very active on the flats. Trout are hitting a lot of baits on all the deeper grass flats.
• Spanish Mackerel and Kingfish are making strong appearances. The Kings seem to be running strong out over the close wrecks and off the beaches and the Spanish Macks should be all over the Bay.

Any Florida Fishing Reports or Tampa Area Specific Fishing Reports are welcome please submit comments or other information here and maybe we can help others catch fish too.

Tampa Bay Fishing Report from Web Site

I received this report from the web site. Thanks for submitting this report and I hope your info can help someone else catch fish. The fishing date was 3/25/2012

"I went wading off of Bayshore Blvd in Tampa, FL. We were out about 300yds off the shore during high tide and we caught three speckled trout ranging from the smallest 17", the middle was 22" and the largest one was 27 1/2" inches. They were all caught on live shrimp. We had to weed through some of the smaller ones before the bigger ones started to hit."

Capt. Rick Reddick of Tampa Fishing Charters posted this on his site

TAMPA FISHING CHARTERS
The Mackerel are everywhere and the bite is Spectacular. The wrecks just off shore and the live bottom areas are his spots to target the fish. read more about it here at his website.
http://www.captainrickreddick.com/2012/03/28/tampa-bay-mackerel-bite-spectacular/

Saturday Fishiing Philippe Park

It was a windy afternoon (4:30pm), there was a minor front moving in and it was suppose to bring rain Sunday so the winds were up a little over 15knts. They were out of the southwest and we thought that Philippe Park (Map Link) might be a good protected area. As you can see from the picture the waves were a little large for Kayaks, But they weren't bad enough to keep us off the water and the water was very warm.

It looked a little nicer from shore than it actually was. We launched right from one of the pull overs towards the south end of the park. and fished from creek mouth south about 200-300 yards. The mangroves were nicely covered with water.

Tim caught the first fish of the day a nice 18" Redfish. The water was pushed way up and we hit the place right at high tide and the mangroves were in the water and the treeline was flooded. With the murky water conditions we though that it might be best to use White Soft Jigs. I used a New Penny color and Tim was using solid white.

We caught a few more fish a couple of trout and some Ladyfish and as you can see Tim's catches of Redfish were right up in the Mangrove shallows. the water was about 2ft deep here and is normally less than 6 inches.
The wind isn't always your enemy as a matter of fact a nice South wind is a great thing in the upper Tampa Bay area where the water can be pushed into places that it normally isn't and the fish are there too.

TampaBayFish.com Weekend Fishing report

TampaBayFish.com  Weekend Fishing Report. This weekend is suppose to be excellent weather, warmer than usual including the water temperature being at levels near the normal MAY timeframe. This will lead to fish being very active and we should see a definite increase in Spanish Mackerel activity in the bay and along the beaches and the Kingfish run should be going on strong this weekend.

Weather UPDATE: Excellent weather Until Sunday with another little rain storm in scattered areas. It seems like a dip in the temperatures on Sunday but only to 79 so it should be excellent fishing all weekend long.

Submitted Report from the Website: "caught a twenty one inch and 19 inch red off of live bait while tide was going out at 4 o'clock pm." Not sure of the Exact Location but they are out there.

RADAR LINK

FORECAST LINK


SATURDAY:
high 83-85 20% chance of Rain
low 69-71
SW WINDS 10-14mph
SUNDAY:
high 79-81 30% isolated chance of Rain
low 51-53
W WINDS 8-11mph 

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Fishing Report: Look for both days to be good fishing this weekend the winds may keep a lot of people off the water but if the wind is from the south like expected look for the upper creeks and shallow areas to hold more fish due to the NEW water being pushed back into those areas.

• FISH Typical patterns for spring are expected for Redfish, Snook and Trout. 
• Spanish Mackerel and Kingfish are making strong appearances. Look for Kings out over the close wrecks and off the beaches and the Spanish Macks should be all over the Bay.

Any Florida Fishing Reports or Tampa Area Specific Fishing Reports are welcome please submit comments or other information here and maybe we can help others catch fish too.

TampaBayFish.com Fishing report

Saturday was a good day to be on the water with the winds out of the South some of the protected areas turned out to be productive. the only problem encountered it wasn't until after the sun had just set that my buddy was able to hook up with four nice sized Redfish one after another. The Winds were pretty helpful being out of the South but the fish seemed a little slow to respond. The fishing seemed a little slow However due to the warm air and mild winter it looks like maybe the fish are already starting to move out of their winter haunts. The water temperatures are near their normal "MAY" temps and this could make a change in the fishing sooner this year and we could see Snook out on the beaches soon and some of the other fish transitioning to thier spring areas sooner than expected. The Hotspot Map has been updated with these 4 catches in the Anclote Salt Lake area.

WEEKEND FISHING REPORT

TampaBayFish.com  Weekend Fishing Report. It looks like the clouds have moved in and we have a heavy overcast with the threat of rain. Of course Fishing in Florida is always good we can all use a little help finding the fish and knowing what is biting.

Weather UPDATE: Looks like another FRONT is coming through however it is suppose to bring showers Today and Sunday with only scattered around the area. Prepare to get wet if fishing those days but look for the fishing to pretty hot on Saturday and perhaps today.

RADAR LINK

FORECAST LINK




SATURDAY:
high 78
low 66
SUNDAY:
high 69
low 48

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Fishing Report: Saturday looks to be the best day this weekend depending on how fast the front moves in it shouldn't slow the fish down that much since it is just a drop in the temp overnight BUT with the barometer dropping you should see good activity FRIDAY and possibly later Saturday. .

• REDFISH Early morning Saturday and the magic hour before dark are going to be the best bets but even the middle of the day may show a few fish feeding before the change on Sunday.
• TROUT will be hanging in the grass flats like always and should come after some live baits.
• SNOOK might still be hunting the shallows in the upper creeks.
• OTHER SPECIES most other fish will follow similar patterns look for the early morning and evening to be your best bets things are only going to get better from this time forward.

Any Florida Fishing Reports or Tampa Area Specific Fishing Reports are welcome please submit comments or other information here and maybe we can help others catch fish too.

Annonymous Fishing Report From the Web Site

I received this Tampa Area Fishing Report from the Web Site. Thanks for the report. (Jan 31, 2012)
"My father and I decided to go flats fishing around 7 o'clock at night. Nothing was biting on the flats so we moved to the TECO power plant. At this time it is about 9 o'clock. First we free lined it with some shrimp at the bottom of the hook and cast after cast we were getting some fun fights. We caught Catfish, Ladyfish, and large Jack. Then we put a bobber on the line and casted it into the center. Then we started to catch trout. One after another."

Anonymoous Reports added to web site.

I received this Fishing Report from the website.

Boat basin South side of Gandy directly west of s. westshore blvd. Tampa
"Allot of small Pampano and trout. I fished with a #1 hook but the fish are all to small for it in this boat basin. With in seconds of my bait being in the water I had hits 95% of the time."

Fishing Report from Web Site

I received this Fishing Report from the website and it has both Fresh water and Saltwater Report.
"Lake Tarpon Pinellas County Florida


Fresh Water Report:

Speckled Perch (Crappie) have really started to show up in numbers. Roadrunner style jigs in Yellow and Green are top producers for good size specs. Live minnows have also been a great bait. I prefer to use a slip bobber with Live minnow or grass shrimp so you can adjust your baits from 1ft to 15ft., also straight line down with Cane sticks is another productive way of using the spider technique. Trolling (slow) through deeper water will result in some nice fish. Mark each fish on your GPS or with a float buoy and work that area well.

Salt Water:

Snook, Redfish, and Big Trout are the hot topic in tampabay right now. Live Shrimp, Tiger Chubs, and Greenbacks are the top choice, but DOA Cal Jigs, Zara Spook, and Jerk Baits are productive as well if your a Lure fisherman. Look to Ft. Desoto, Wheedon Island, Coquina Key,and 4th Street Area for some great action.

Tight Lines and Screaming reels

JSnooker"

Anonymous Fishing Report Submitted

Thanks for submitting this next report. It was submitted through my website and it had no name attached. I truly appreciate and value ALL fishing reports. Many of us fish, and letting each other know where and what is biting is what this Web Site is about. thanks again for the submission.
SUBMITTED 1/8/2012, "Sunday was a great day for fishing. We started out at the power plant, in the warm water flats, while everyone else was fishing the deep water warm outflow catching a few small fish. It was low tide and the depth was about 2 feet with the water being flat as glass. I was able to see dozens of Bonnet Head sharks, so we started casting out to them. Within minutes we were both hooked up at the same time. Within about an hour we had each pulled in 6 sharks a piece. All were about 3 feet. They fight great for their size and fool you with their bursts of energy. We moved from their and went over to the west side of one of the spoil islands. There we landed dozens of slot size trout. All in all it was a fun productive day. We used live shrimp all day. With the sharks we let the bait sit on the bottom and for the trout we free lined them through the grass flats. "

thanks again, tight lines. http://www.tampabayfish.com/


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Fishing report Submitted by Captain Randy Schoneman Barefoot Bandit Charters

Submitted by Capt. Randy Schoneman, 1/7/2012, "Went out today with my father for some reds as we usually do not keep any and he keeps hearing from his friends that he is telling stories. We did not have to go far as we went to a couple areas close to the house that I have not hit since getting my new boat. We landed six reds from 17" to 24" and kept our two for his friends dinner. They were in with mullet in 1.5' of water and hit on grannies,pin shrimp and a gold spoon. We had 4-5 get off with short bites where they only had half the bait. Great day with my father that will last a lifetime. Tight lines till next report "
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Captain Randy Schoneman
Barefoot Bandit Charters

13707 LAGOON DR HUDSON FL 34667 US
http://www.pasco-gulf-fishing.com/default.html
Phone:
(727)514-4642
(727)863-6718
Email:
CaptainRandy@pasco-gulf-fishing.com

Fishing For Redfish Catching Snook

Well we hit the water at about 7:30 we thought it would be good since the cold front moved through a little over three days ago so the fish should be acclimatized to the temperature change and should be hungry. We started out and it was foggy and cloudy but the weather seemed to be holding. After a few casts I realized it was not typical fish weren't moving and hitting like the previous weekend. Then my buddy hooked into a nice fish. Check out the video here. BUT when we got it to the boat it was a SNOOK. SO after 3 more SNOOK we realized the Redfish had moved out and the SNOOK had moved in. We were only out for a little while but a few lady fish and 3 nice SNOOK (released of course) made for a good day of fishing.